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Sunday, October 19, 2014

AAR14: Convoy Duty (A Battle in the Fictional Nations of Uwanda)

This battle, another convoy ambush, is a follow-on to the last battle. It incorporated lessons learned by both sides, and yielded an even more lopsided result. This was due to dozens (literally) of missed sighting rolls, and then an amazing string of rolls, mostly under 10% on D100, in the first turn of fire._____This battle took place on the road approaching Objective A58 from the west (near the center of the map). It involved an Uwanda infantry platoon in Saracens, a few trucks, a couple of jeeps with machineguns, a single Saladin, and a M42 Duster for fire support, should anything go wrong.

The ULF ambush included only 16 fighters, but with every RPG that the local group could muster, eight in all.

An easterly view of the table. Uwandan vehicles have

entered on the road at the far end of the table

The convoy was traveling through a small forested section of road, blind as can be, when half of the convoy blew up due to the multitude of RPGs flying across the road (the lead jeep had actually exited my table, before sighting occurred).

Enemy sighted, M42 turret swinging in the direction

of the enemy, a man in a red shirt fires his RPG.

Tendaji, a ULF fighter, thought, "My body shakes as much from the rumble of enemy trucks and armored cars, as it does from fear. It is hard to be patient with so many of the enemy, so close. What, what are they doing...."

The M42 can be seen peeking through the trees,

just behind the Saracen APC.

The commander of the M42 was the first to see the men in the bushes, radioing the info and slewing the turret around immediately. But, he would never get to fire, as a startled ULF fighter let loose his RPG for a hit on the M42. In a second, seven more RPGs flew, and amazingly, all would find their targets.The convoy simply blew up. All four Saracens, the M42 and a couple of trucks. Gone. Immediately the ambushers began to withdraw. Uwandan troops abandoning their bullet collectors, fired wildly into the underbrush.

Damage done, the ULF already retreating into the forest.

The Saladin at the front and the trail jeep both saw a few men running in the forest and engaged, killing three. The battle was over. The Southern ULF commander's hit and run tactic working better than anyone (especially me) had imagined.Losses for Uwanda were terrible, while the ULF lost little:Uwanda:4x Saracen1x M22x Trucks27 men (including 23 of 36 infantry dead or wounded)ULF:3x fightersThe implications of this lop-sided fight are significant. The ULF will be able to cripple Uwanda in a matter of weeks at this rate. Convoy tactics will change, as will the effort to find ULF basecamps. Up to now, the ULF had been an annoyance, now they were a greater threat than Mugabia.In Uwanda, the chief of staff reviewed the recommendations for dealing with the ULF. It would be expensive and brutal. He entered the President's office with a sense of fatigue and a large frown...